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Sound problems with Wing Commander 1 and munt

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First post, by Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman

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Well, I'm not sure where the problem is located: Dosbox, munt, or just my system. Thus, I post the thread here just to be safe. Feel free to move it elsewhere as necessary.

See, I'm playing Wing Commander 1 using Dosbox and munt. I downloaded the latest munt from sourceforge, and got the MT32_Control.ROM and MT32_PCM.ROM from a link on this forum. I unzipped both munt and PCMs into the same folder: C:\MT32EMU, and then installed it as MIDI device.

Here's the contents of C:\MT32EMU:

COPYING.txt
drumpat.rom
MT32_Control.ROM
MT32_PCM.rom
mt32emu.dll
oemsetup.inf
patchlog.cfg
Preset1.syx
Preset2.syx
README.txt

And then, I fired up DOSBox with the following configuration:

[sdl]
fullscreen=true
fulldouble=false
fullresolution=original
windowresolution=original
output=surface
autolock=true
sensitivity=100
waitonerror=true
priority=higher,normal
mapperfile=mapper.txt
usescancodes=true

[dosbox]
language=
machine=vga
captures=capture
memsize=16

[render]
frameskip=0
aspect=false
scaler=normal2x

[cpu]
core=normal
cycles=4000
cycleup=500
cycledown=20

[mixer]
nosound=false
rate=22050
blocksize=2048
prebuffer=10

[midi]
mpu401=intelligent
device=default
config=

[sblaster]
sbtype=sb16
sbbase=220
irq=5 
dma=1
hdma=5
mixer=true
oplmode=auto
oplrate=22050

[gus]
gus=true
gusrate=22050
gusbase=240
irq1=5
irq2=5
dma1=3
dma2=3
ultradir=C:\ULTRASND
…Show last 31 lines

[speaker]
pcspeaker=true
pcrate=22050
tandy=auto
tandyrate=22050
disney=true

[joystick]
joysticktype=2axis
timed=false
autofire=false
swap34=false
buttonwrap=true

[serial]
serial1=dummy
serial2=dummy
serial3=disabled
serial4=disabled

[dos]
xms=true
ems=true
umb=true
keyboardlayout=none

[ipx]
ipx=false

[autoexec]

Here's the specification of my old notebook (where I play Wing Commander):
Toshiba M20
Intel(R) Pentium(R) M
processor 1400MHz
598MHz, 736 MB of RAM
Microsoft Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2

Now, when I play Wing Commander 1, several sound effects are just missing, as follows:
- sounds of ship's guns firing -=> most notably missing
- explosion
- the closing of the cockipt (before launch)

Sounds effects that still exist:
- engine sound as ship's flying by
- asteroids flying by

What the problems are? Is there anything wrong with my munt, My DOSBox .conf, or my system?

Never thought this thread would be that long, but now, for something different.....
Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman.

Reply 1 of 10, by dh4rm4

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It's probably just MUNT's incomplete emulation. Have you tried any of YHKWONG's CVS builds? They tend to have a later revision of MUNT than the compiled-as-midi-driver releases.

Reply 2 of 10, by Qbix

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On my pc with a real mt32 the guns firing are missing every now and then. but usually they are there.

Water flows down the stream
How to ask questions the smart way!

Reply 3 of 10, by Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman

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dh4rm4 wrote:

It's probably just MUNT's incomplete emulation. Have you tried any of YHKWONG's CVS builds? They tend to have a later revision of MUNT than the compiled-as-midi-driver releases.

I see. Will try the 0.72 version then. Thanks.

Qbix wrote:

On my pc with a real mt32 the guns firing are missing every now and then. but usually they are there.

Are you using real DOS or DOSBox? Is the missing sound a problem unique to DOSBox, or is it a general problem with MT-32?

Never thought this thread would be that long, but now, for something different.....
Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman.

Reply 4 of 10, by wildweasel

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I don't remember any issues like that, from playing the game a year ago on my 486 w/real MT32 hardware.

wwsig2-button1.pngwwsig2-center.pngwwsig2-button2.png

Reply 5 of 10, by Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman

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Holy thread ressurection, Batman!

Well so I have tried YHKWONG's CVS builds (version 0.72). I then uninstalled munt as Windows MIDI device, and copied MT32_Control.ROM and MT32_PCM.rom to my DOSBox folder, and put the following lines in my dosbox.conf:

[midi]
mpu401=uart
device=mt32
mt32rate=22050
config=

(note: without MT32_Control.ROM and MT32_PCM.rom in the DOSBox folder, the MT-32 emulation just doesn't work at all).

I noticed several improvements in sound effects (compared to using munt as Windows MIDI device):
- The sound of "bullets" (laser bolts) hitting the target is now audible.
- The explosions are noticeably louder.
- When scrambling to the hangar, the klaxon is audible now.

However, the music is noticeably uglier compared to munt as MIDI device. The brass instrument suffers the most --it is almost like listening to Sound Blaster FM synthesis! Also, missing notes are more severe.

But the worst of all, the gunfire sound is still missing! 😢

Any suggestion?

Never thought this thread would be that long, but now, for something different.....
Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman.

Reply 6 of 10, by dh4rm4

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Get a real MT32.

Reply 7 of 10, by Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman

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dh4rm4 wrote:

Get a real MT32.

But...

Qbix wrote:

On my pc with a real mt32 the guns firing are missing every now and then.

🙁

Never thought this thread would be that long, but now, for something different.....
Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman.

Reply 8 of 10, by dh4rm4

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That's not the same as expecting an incomplete and rudimentary emulator to perform as the real deal. In reality, even with the best of gear, things sometimes fail to some degree or another. Emulation when incomplete can lead to people making some of the most awful and incorrect assumptions about the true nature of the things being emulated unsuccessfully. Trust me, as an MT32 owner I can tell you that MUNT isn't on par with even the simpler MT32 soundtracks and that the MT32 by it's very nature as an LA Synth running over analogue amplification/compression circuitry - replete with it's own character - is just damn hard to emulate properly. MUNT is an awesome achievement but it still has a very long way to go at present.

On the other hand, a real MT32 coupled with a USB to MIDI adaptor isn't very expensive by today's standards. 😀

Reply 9 of 10, by Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman

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Hmmm... Gotta start hunting for a real one, then. I still wonder; what causes the missing gunfire in real MT-32?

Never thought this thread would be that long, but now, for something different.....
Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman.

Reply 10 of 10, by Qbix

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with every now and then I meant in the heat of the battle with many ships
.In general it is there.
I don't know if it is because of dosbox it's emulation or that the game itself is flawed)

Water flows down the stream
How to ask questions the smart way!

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